Chaos Angel
by wingedknightzero
Summary: My name is Sawyer, and I am the product of Dr. Hojo's insane Jenova experiments. I was sent away when I was very young to Gongaga. That is where I met Zack Fair and we had become the best of friends. Then, all this madness happened...
1. Chapter 1

_Hey Reno, it's Sawyer. Look, I'm coming into Midgar soon and I would like it if I could see a friendly face as soon as I got there. You were the first one that came to mind so… Well, give me a call when you get this or when you get the chance. Tell Rufus I'm on my way as well. And Reno… How have you been all of these years?_

That call was three days ago. I never even got a reply from him. So here I was, on a bus toward Midgar and no messages on my phone. Which, I guess, was to be expected. There was so much reconstruction to be done since that calamity happened a year ago. And so much the Shinra Company had to make up for. But, I should've known better than to call Reno first. He would never change…

As the bus pulled in, I looked for him anyhow. Instead, I found a black car with too men beside it. One was in a wheelchair with bandages on his eye and neck. His hair was blond. He was unmistakenably Rufus Shinra. Behind him stood a tall man with sleek black hair dressed in a suit.

I stepped off the bus with my lone bag. Rufus and the man with him met me half way. Rufus's smile was genuine.

"Sawyer, it's good to see you," he greeted. "I want to be the first to welcome you to Edge."

I was kind of confused. "Midgar was renamed after the calamity?"

Rufus chuckled. "Actually, Edge is being built on top of Midgar. It's a whole new city. It's still under construction of course but, it's making progress."

"I see. I'm sorry if I don't seem thrilled to see you Rufus. I was actually expecting-"

"Reno?" He interrupted. "I'm afraid Reno doesn't use his phone often much less bring it with him anywhere. Knowing him, he would break it the first time he brought it with him. I'm sorry to disappoint you."

"It's alright."

The man behind him nodded to me in a hello. Rufus noticed.

"Forgive me. Where are my manners?" He joked. "Sawyer, this is Tseng, leader of the Turks. Tseng, this is my younger sister Sawyer."

Tseng extended his hand to me. I took it gladly and shook it.

"It's a pleasure to finally meet you, Sawyer."

"And it is nice to meet you as well Tseng."

"Well, now that we're all acquainted," Rufus said as he wheeled toward the car. "We should get back."

We all got into the car. Tseng drove us.

"So, if you don't mind me asking, where is Reno?"

"On an errand," Rufus answered simply. "He should be back not long after we do. Why so impatient Sawyer?"

I stayed silent. I didn't want to tell him what I was really going to do. I had a bone to pick with Reno… I had a bone to pick with my brother too but, I was absolutely ready to act on this one.

A long time ago, long before Rufus became President of the company, I was sent off to a small village in the middle of nowhere. It was my father, President Shinra's idea to send me away. He didn't want me to be part of the disputes and hardships of the company (or so I was told). So, I was taken away. After a few years of being in that village, father had sent one of the Turks to come see how I was doing. That's how I met Reno. He didn't like the idea of babysitting the youngest child of President Shinra but, he warmed up as the weeks went by. He stayed with me for half a year then disappeared one morning without saying anything to me. Then, all the trouble began.

To be honest, I thought Rufus would've already noticed my glowing blue eyes. He either noticed and didn't say anything or he hadn't noticed at all. I didn't know which situation I would rather have…

We arrived at Healin Lodge in less than an hour. Tseng opened the door for me to get out. Rufus had already made it into the lodge.

The room they gave me was decent sized. It was cleaned up and tidy. The only thing that really bothered me was the lack of color. It was so dreary in here…

"I hope that this suits your needs," Rufus said as he wheeled in.

I put my stuff on my bed and sat on it. "It'll be fine for the time being. At least until I get a good source of income. Then I'll decide from there."

"You're not going to stay?"

"You expected me to?"

My question was a slap in the face. Overly harsh? Maybe. But it was the truth. Rufus looked kind of hurt.

"I guess I didn't know what to expect." He shrugged. "As for Reno, he should be here any-"

Before he could finish his sentence, the door opened and closed. We both left my room to see who it was. Standing before us was a bald man with glasses and Reno. I could recognize Reno's blazing, wild, red hair anywhere.

"Ah, welcome back Reno, Rude. How was your trip?"

"Uneventful," Rude answered simply. "I'm starting to think you just wanted us out of here, Sir."

Rufus chuckled. "Well it worked, didn't it?"

Reno glanced at me for a quick second then looked away. "So, may I ask who the broad is?"

Rufus tossed him his phone with little effort. "You should listen to your messages more often. Maybe then you would know who you're talking to."

"I wasn't trying to be offensive, sir…"

"Rufus, please," I said to my brother. "It's okay. He probably wouldn't remember leaving me anyhow."

"Hey, what are you trying to imply? Do I even know you?"

I sighed then went to the door and opened it.

"Where do you think you're going?" Reno demanded. "We're not done here."

"As far as I'm concerned, I am." I walked out and shut the door behind me. I just stood there for a moment. I didn't know why. My feet wouldn't move forward for me. I just… Then, Rufus lost his temper.

"Reno, how dare you say that to her! How can you not remember her?"

"Look, I wasn't trying to be disrespectful. If I don't know her then I don't-" He stopped abruptly. There was a silence in the room for a moment.

"Are you… Serious…?" Reno asked. I could only imagine the look on his face. "_She's_ Sawyer? But I thought-"

"We all thought so, Reno. We all did. And then I got a call long before this and learned that she could very well be…" He trailed off. As soon as I made it down the stairs, I started running.


	2. Chapter 2

I sat in a green field… One of the few left here because of the calamity. I was surprised when I found it. It was a beautiful sight and also very comfortable.

Suddenly, a gust began blow harder and harder. I realized that it was a helicopter touching down outside the field. I already knew who it was before they finally made their way to me. In short time, Reno and Rude came into view.

"About time we found you," Reno said as they got closer. "I was starting to think that you were uncatchable." He plopped down beside me. Rude kept a good distance away so we could have some privacy. Not like we needed any but, the thought was nice.

"I'm really sorry about earlier."

"Why would you be sorry?" I asked, not looking at him.

He sighed. "If that's how you're going to be about it…" He went quiet then looked out into the field. "So… Enjoying the view?"

I shrugged. "It's okay." I wasn't telling the truth at all. It was the most wonderful thing I had ever seen for a long time. I hugged my knees to my chest.

"What are you thinking about?" He asked.

"Nothing really," I mumbled. "Just how much I hate you right now."

He smirked. "Well, whatever floats your boat I guess. I'm actually kind of relieved to see you here."

This sparked something. "Oh? And why is that?"

"Because we all thought that you were dead."

"You heard then?"

He nodded. "We even sent a team to investigate. We did a lot of things to try to find you…" He trailed off.

"But not everything," I finished for him. "I'm not surprised."

He grimaced. "It's nice to know that you have so much faith in your family's company. Geez Sawyer… You really have changed."

"I'm happy you noticed." I got up and dusted my bum off.

"What ever happened?" He asked suddenly.

I stopped. I didn't know what to say to that. I didn't want to tell him everything. In fact, I wanted to blame him for everything that ever happened to me. But I kept my mouth shut.

"Nothing you need concern yourself with," I answered simply. "Not like you would understand anyway." I turned to him. "I want you to take me to Edge."

"What for?"

"I need to find a job. I don't like the thought of asking my brother for charity."

"Are you serious?"

I eyed him coldly. He shot up to his feet.

"We'll go get the helicopter."

He and Rude got to work on setting up the helicopter. I hopped in as it started up. Sooner or later, we were circling above Edge.

"Well, Sawyer, we can't exactly land in the city," Reno said. "So, what are you gonna do?"

I grinned as I unbuckled myself. "I'm gonna jump of course."

Reno freaked. "What the hell? Sawyer! Wait a second!"

Too late. I had already opened the door and leaped out. The rush was exhilarating and I didn't expect any less. I landed smoother than a cat on some scaffolding of an unfinished building then kept going down from there. When I got to the ground, my phone began to ring.

"Hello?" I answered.

"What the HELL were you thinking?" Reno screamed from the other side of the phone. "Where the hell are you?"

"On the ground," I answered in a playful tone.

"You're not hurt or anything?" His tone was unbelieving.

"What did you expect? Look, tell Rufus that I'll be home later tonight." I closed my phone then put it in my pocket.

I walked into the streets of Edge. So many people filled the place. It was a wonder how this many people couldn't fill it up to the brim. Even so, I roamed aimlessly. Then, something caught my eye. A young man was having a hard time with some things. I ran over and caught the bag before it got to the ground.

"Thank you," he said, relieved. "So there really is life out there."

I eyed him strangely. "What are you talking about?"

He shook his head. "Never mind. Thanks again. If you're not in a hurry anywhere, could you help me take these things to my work? It would help a lot. I'll buy you a drink as a thank you."

I wasn't really sure how to react. He was really kind. A very sweet soul.

I smiled. "I'll just help you out. You don't have to buy me a drink."

"Thank you so much. Just follow me. It's not very far."

I did as he told me, carrying some of his heavy load.

"I'm really sorry about my rudeness," he said suddenly. "My name is Ian."

I giggled. "Sawyer." He was so sweet. His brown hair fell to his shoulders and he had deep, brown eyes. He was very different from Reno.

We soon arrived at a club of sorts. I followed him inside. There was a stage with a woman singing and many high class people in round booths. It was a lovely atmosphere.

Ian led me behind the bar. "Just put those here," he said putting his own bag on the floor.

I put mine down next to his. I turned to him. "You work here?"

He nodded. "Yeah. Most of the time I'm just the bartender. Every once in a lifetime will I get on the stage."

I watched him as he put away the bottles of wine and liqueur. When he was done, he got up to face me.

"I have to repay you somehow," he said.

I shook my head. "No, no. It's fine. I just wanted to help out, that's all."

"And that deserves something in return."

Just then, someone in a comfortable suit walked up to the bar. He looked very stern with his dark beard and mustache.

"Ah, hello Boss," Ian greeted him cheerfully. "What can I do for you, sir?"

The man turned his gaze to me. I bowed.

"I see you've found a friend," he said. His voice was deep and commanding. It sent shivers down my spine.

"She helped with groceries, sir. I was trying to find a fitting thank you for her. Perhaps… a job opening would suffice?"

Now that was going way too far. A job just for helping out with groceries? You've got to be kidding me.

The man took it into consideration though. He scratched his beard and looked around. "Well… We could always use another waitress. Maybe… another performer as well…" He was talking more to himself than he was to me and Ian.

Ian chuckled then bent down to my ear. "It's always interesting when he get's like this. Unfortunately, it's very hard to get him out of it. Watch." Ian leaned over the bar and started to tug on the Boss's sleeve like a little kid. "Sir? Siiiirrrr…"

After a few minutes of Ian doing that, the Boss finally snapped out of it. He cleared his throat.

"I apologize." He turned to me and smiled. "I never got your name, Miss."

I bowed. "It's Sawyer, sir."

"Well Sawyer, I'll make you a deal. If you can prove yourself this weekend with some singing and being a waitress, maybe I'll consider you for the job."

I lit up at the sound of this news. "Really? You would do that?"

He nodded. "Saturday night, seven sharp. Don't be late." He strode away after that.

I could hardly believe it. A job opportunity on the first day… It almost seemed like a dream. All because I helped out the bartender! How crazy.

I looked over to Ian who had a big grin on his face and leaning over the bar.

"Well, I guess that settles things," he said. "You'll be here, right?"

I nodded. "Definitely. This is probably the only chance at a job I can get. I have to make it worth something. Right?"

Ian chuckled. "Of course." He sat up and began to clean some glasses. "Anyhow, I guess I'll see you Saturday night. You better be here." He winked at me.

I nodded then waved goodbye. I left right after and roamed Edge. As soon as I turned a corner, I bumped into someone unexpected.


	3. Chapter 3

She was carrying bags of stuff so I didn't really recognize her at first.

"I'm so sorry," I said. "I seem to have knack for running into people today."

"Sawyer? Is that you?" The voice sounded familiar but I couldn't place the name.

I looked at her for a moment. She had long black hair and a fighter-like outfit. I still couldn't think of her name…

"Tifa, wait!" cried a small voice. A little girl with a red ribbon in her hair ran to her. A tall, blond and spiky haired guy walked up beside them.

"Tifa…" I murmured. "Where have I heard that name before…?"

"It _is_ Sawyer," Tifa said, smiling. "How have you been? It seems like forever." She turned to the blond guy, who was just staring at me. "Cloud? Is something wrong?"

That name finally struck a chord. "Cloud? And Tifa? How long has it been? I'm sorry; I kind of had a memory lapse."

"Oh Sawyer," Tifa gave her stuff to the little girl. She embraced me. "I'm so glad to see you after all this time." She looked at me again. "You haven't changed a bit."

I was surprised that she didn't see the difference. I'm sure Cloud could see it a mile away. He walked up to me and tipped my face up to him. He looked straight into my eyes. I knew exactly what he was looking for.

"Cloud, what is it?"

He let go of me. "I see. Now I know why you were gone after that day. Why didn't you come to find me?"

Oh man… Busted.

"Well… See… I…" I didn't want to tell him everything while standing in the middle of the street. Tifa seemed to notice how uncomfortable I was.

"Hey Sawyer, why don't you come back to our place for a bit?" she offered. "We haven't seen you in a long time and would like to catch up. Right, Cloud?"

He just stared at me, expecting an answer from his earlier question. Tifa nudged him.

"Right," he said.

Tifa took the bags from the little girl. "Follow us. You came at a great time. I'm so glad you're here."

I followed them back to their apartment. It was nice and roomy. Tifa put everything away and led me to the table. She didn't sit with me yet though. She went back to the kitchen to make us something to drink.

"So, where are you staying at?" she asked.

"I'm staying in Healin with Rufus and the Turks. My brother was pleased to have me stay with them. But… I'll be honest, I don't like the charity. As of right now though, it's the best I can do."

"Is that why you were in Edge?"

"Yep. I found a job over at a club. All because I helped out the bartender with his groceries." I chuckled.

"What will you be doing?"

I shrugged. "I don't know yet. They were talking about making me sing or something…"

Tifa got all excited. "That's great! Everything seems to be working out!"

I sighed. Cloud walked by, bringing a few boxes in. Tifa brought some drinks for us and finally sat with me.

"So, why did you wait so long to come back?"

I took a sip from my drink. "I wasn't trying to wait so long. There were things that kept me from coming. Like the calamity and… Family matters that I had to attend to." I looked up at Cloud, who now stood beside the table. "Besides, everyone at Shinra thought I was dead. Only one person knew."

The look on Cloud's face told me he knew exactly who I was talking about. "Why didn't he tell anyone?"

I grinned. "I'm sure you remember why Cloud."

He shook his head. "That's not good enough and you know it. Reeve knew better than to keep you secret from everyone. He knew better than to keep you from Rufus of all people. And he knew how close we were. He should've found it in his best interest to at least tell Tifa or me." He was losing his temper.

"Cloud, please," Tifa said, putting her hand on his arm.

"I agree with you," I said. "Believe me, I do. I was just as much a victim of my father's company as you were. The facts are there. At this point, I'm just waiting for my brother to say something to me. Reeve did a lot for me. And so did Zack's mother before I left…"

Cloud's expression softened. "How is she?"

"Surviving… She was doing fine when I left anyway. I haven't seen or talked to her in months."

"Did you tell her?"

I nodded. "She's one of the strongest people I know. She would never tell me how she felt right in front of me… Or how heartbroken she was…"

"And when she saw you?"

I chuckled at that memory. "She thought I was joining Zack in SOLDIER. When I told her the truth she threatened to go after Hojo herself."

Cloud smiled at that. Tifa laughed.

"One day I'll go back and see her. But as of right now, I need to try and make something of myself here without the shadow of the Shinra Company and without Reeve supporting me."

Cloud nodded. "How is Rufus?"

"Still in a wheelchair and bandages. Not much of a change there. The Turks are bored to tears. With me there, I'm sure I can keep them on their toes and give them a run for their money."

We all laughed at that. Just then, my phone began to ring. I picked it up, knowing full well who it was.

"What?" I asked irritably.

"Where are you? We'll come pick you up," Reno's voice said over the phone.

"I thought you hated babysitting me."

"I'm not babysitting. I'm making sure you're safe."

"I'm as safe as I possibly could be. I'll let you know when I'm ready to go." I hung up on him.

"Reno?" Tifa asked.

I let out an irritated sigh. "I don't understand… The guy didn't even recognize who I was and now he suddenly wants to take care of me. He was the one who walked out on me before I got my happy butt experimented on…"

"Sawyer, as Turks they always have other duties and are dealt accordingly by priority. You of all people should know that."

Tifa had a point.

"Unfortunately, I wasn't on that list before this all happened. Now look at me. I might as well be part of SOLDIER."

Cloud kept his next comment to himself and walked away. It was just me and Tifa.

"I take it things between you and Reno aren't going to get patched up anytime soon…"

"I wish it were that simple," I admitted. "I wish I could just let it all go. Cloud and I are the only ones alive that know the horrors of what Hojo did to us."

Tifa shook her head. "Many of our friends were victims of him too. You don't know them yet but, once you get settled in and everything, I'll introduce you."

I smiled. Her optimism was refreshing. I missed Tifa a lot over the years…

I drank the rest of my beverage down. "I suppose I should get going before Reno pops a vein." I got up from my chair.

Tifa laughed and lead me out. "If there's ever anything you need, please don't hesitate to call us. Please Sawyer? At least give us that much."

"Of course. I won't leave you all hanging. I promise." I waved goodbye then left. I pulled out my phone and called Reno.

"Where are you?" He asked as soon as he picked up.

I huffed. "Well hello to you too dear. I was visiting with Cloud and Tifa."

"Alright. We'll be right there." He hung up.

A while later, he and Rude showed up by car and picked me up. The drive was silent all the way back to Healin. When we got in, Rufus was waiting for us along with Tseng and a blond haired woman that I had never seen before.

"Ah, Sawyer," my brother greeted, "How was your adventure in Edge?"

I shrugged. "It was eventful. I got a job offering. And I saw Tifa and Cloud."

"How are they?"

"They seem well. Cloud is Cloud and Tifa is how I always remembered her." I faltered a little when I thought of Cloud's emotionless state. So much had changed in him after Zack had died and the calamity…

"Sawyer," Rufus said. "I want to introduce you to Elena, another of the Turks. Seeing as how she is the only woman out of the Turks, I thought it best that she be placed with you."

Elena came to me and offered a hand to me. "It is a pleasure to meet you Sawyer. Finally." She giggled. "Rufus has said a lot of good things about you."

I smiled. She was so kind to me… I gave her my hand. "The pleasure is all mine, Elena."

"So, where does this leave us?" Reno asked.

I turned to him. "If you mean between me and you, this leaves you in the dog house for quite a while."

"What for?"

"For things that happened in the past. I blame your stupidity mostly but… I suppose that outside forces were involved as well. So I can't put all the blame on you." I sighed. "In any case, I'm going to a job interview on Saturday. I hope that's okay."

Rufus nodded. "Of course. Elena can take you and drop you off and you can call when it's over. We won't be a bother to you at work."

I was surprised by this. "You mean it?"

He nodded.

"Thank you, Rufus. It means a lot."

He wheeled himself to a door then turned to me. "You should get some rest. It's been a long day for you." At that, he went into the room.


	4. Chapter 4

Saturday came quickly. I was mostly settled into the routine of staying with my brother and the Turks. I did most of the chores just to keep me busy if anything else. As well as to keep Reno from bothering me too much. Elena and I had gotten much closer over the last few days. I had also been closer to Tseng. He and I would even get into a calm debate about some things and have decent conversation. Rufus and I had also gotten to know each other all over again. Of course, he still hadn't said anything about the difference in my eyes. As for Reno and Rude… I'm sure that's obvious.

As promised, Elena dropped me off at the club.

"Good luck, Sawyer," she said as I was getting out of the car. "Just call me when you're ready to go."

I nodded. "Will do. And thank you."

As soon as I closed the door she was on her way. I walked into the club and went straight to the bar where Ian was working. He smiled as soon as he saw me.

"Ah, you're early. I was afraid that you were going to get cold feet."

I shook my head. "Not a chance."

The Boss showed up minutes later. "Sawyer," he greeted. "I'm so glad that you could make it."

I shook his hand. "I wouldn't miss this opportunity for anything."

"Good. I hope you're up for some singing and waitressing tonight."

"Absolutely. Bring it on."

Boss showed me to the dressing room with a few other girls getting ready for their own shows and dressing up to be hostesses.

"Attention ladies," he announced. Everyone went silent. "This is Sawyer. Tonight is her first night so take it easy on her. She's going to sing and waitress tonight. Show her the ropes. Teach her what she needs to know. I'm depending on you all." He smiled to me then left me to the hyenas.

All the women went back to their own stations getting themselves prettied up. I found an empty station and looked at all the makeup sitting around it. I immediately realized that I had no idea how to put any of it on.

"Hey there," said a girl from behind me said. "Your name's Sawyer, right?"

I turned to her. "Who's asking?"

She had the prettiest blonde, bouncy curls that I had ever seen and the clearest blue eyes. She was slender, yet she had a beautiful body. I was almost scared to talk to her.

She giggled at me then sat down next to me. "I'm Celia. I want to help you out."

It was kind of hard to believe that that was all she wanted from me. In fact, I didn't believe it at all.

"What's your angle?" I asked her suspiciously.

She giggled at me again. "Trust me, I'm not the one you should be worried about." She pointed down to a very tall, very skinny woman with long ebony hair that went past her bottom.

"And why should I worry about her?"

"That's Miss Queen Bee herself, Alys. She's been on top long before I even came here. She'll be the one you need to be careful of."

"I see…" I murmured.

"As for me," she continued. "You're looking at all this stuff like you've never used it before."

I shook my head at her.

"I can help you with that. It's not too hard. You just have to pick the right colors that fit you. Of course…" She looked closer at me. "With your glowing eyes, it might be a little more difficult to find an eye shadow for you."

I chuckled. "I appreciate you help anyway. Just do what you can and I'll work it."

"Ladies," Boss said as he came into the back. "You all have ten minutes to finish up." He came over to me. "You're up first Sawyer. Make it count."

I nodded to him and let Celia finish my makeup and put me in an outfit. Then she led me to right behind the stage where I would be singing. I was announced and some light clapping could be heard.

I slowly stepped out and made a quick bow to the patrons.

"Thank you," I said shakily. "Without further ado, I will treat you to a song."

I waited a moment for the music to start, then sang along. I danced along with the music and the rest of the patrons started getting into it too. I couldn't believe that I was doing so well.  
>I looked out into the crowd again to see Reno and Rude toward the back. I was completely shocked that they were even here. I tried to ignore them as best as I could.<br>As soon as my song ended, many of the patrons were on their feet clapping and cheering and whistling at me. It was apparent that I had done really well. I had won the crowd. I bowed then made a swift exit. Celia met me at the foot of the stairs.

"That was incredible! You just belted it out! It was amazing!" she cried.

I smiled. "Thank you, Celia."

Just then, Alys sauntered up to me and smirked. "So you're the new girl. I have to say, I am slightly impressed. Perhaps you'll hang around for a little longer."

I gave her a dirty look. "I sure hope so. I might even knock you down a few pegs."

She scowled at me then walked away. Celia giggled. The Boss came down and shook my hand.

"Forget about waitressing, you'll just be a performer and hostess. You have a job Sawyer. You wouldn't believe how many patrons we have requesting for you to go back on stage."

I smiled at him. "I'm flattered, Boss. And I'm also honored. Thank you for giving me this chance."

"I'll be seeing you next week."He shook my hand then took his leave.

I shrieked with Celia for a moment then made my way to the bar. Ian was in the middle of making drinks for a couple when Reno and Rude headed me off.

"Reno… What on earth are you doing here?"

"Did you really think we would miss your first performance?" he asked. "You're an idiot if you thought I wouldn't come."

I shrugged at him. "I guess I am. In fact, I was almost positive that you wouldn't show up."

"Sawyer," Ian called from the bar.

I walked over to him.

"Congrats on getting the job," he said. "I'm happy for you."

"Thank you Ian."

Reno cleared his throat rudely. I rolled my eyes.

"Ian, this is Reno and Rude. Boys, this is Ian. He's the one that got me the job."

"It's a pleasure to meet you both," Ian said, offering his hand to them.

Reno shook it. "Likewise. We appreciate you getting Sawyer a job here."

"It's not a problem. She's wonderful. In fact, I already heard from Celia that you two are acquainted."

I was surprised at that. "That was fast."

He laughed. "Celia is a talker. She can keep secrets, I promise. She's just a busybody."

"I would find the one talkative person here…" I groaned. "In any case…" I turned to Reno and Rude. "You both are here to take me home?"

"Naturally," Reno said. "Elena had something else she had to take care of."

"Of course." I turned back to Ian. "Alright then. I guess I will see you soon. Thank you again."

"I will be here like always." He smiled.

Reno and Rude escorted me out of the club and put me into the black car. It was another silent drive home. As soon as we got there, Rufus was up waiting for me. Tseng was also there with him.

"Hello Sawyer," Rufus greeted. "How was your first night at your new job?"

"It went well. They decided on just making me sing and be a hostess instead of waitressing. A lot of the customers actually requested me to come back."

"That's good to hear." He wheeled over to me. "I'm sorry that I had to send Reno and Rude. Elena is the only girl in our band of misfits so, I sent her to do some "womanly" shopping for you."

I was impressed. He was really thinking about me and making sure that I was well prepared.

"Thank you, Rufus. I have no idea what to say…"

He took my hand into his. "I wasn't a very good brother to you in the past Sawyer. I know that. I plan to make it up to you now that I know that you're alive and here with us. I swear it."

I smiled at him. "You're starting out really well." How could I possibly stay mad at him for stupid things? He was really trying to make this work for me. He really wanted me to stay…

I felt horrible for being such a bitch to him earlier… True, he didn't really do anything to keep father from sending me away when we were younger but… He really was trying now. That was enough for me to forgive him.

He let go of my hand and cleared his throat.

"In any case, I'm sure you've had a long night. Get some sleep. I have a lot I want to discuss with you tomorrow."

I nodded to him. "Of course."

I knew what was coming. He was finally going to ask me about my eyes. I was sure of it. There was no way for me to get out of this one… I just had to suck it up and tell him. He needed to know.

And with that, I went to bed, thinking of everything I would tell him tomorrow.


	5. Chapter 5

I woke up early thinking it would help my nerves a little. Who knew that telling my brother everything that had happened to me would be so nerve-wracking? Rufus was up and moving around when I left my room. He seemed to be getting ready to leave for something.

He noticed me and smiled.

"Ah, good morning Sawyer. How are you feeling this morning?"

"I'm okay. What are you doing?"

"I thought that you and I could go on a picnic. Tseng would be in the car while we eat and talk."

"I see…" I looked around. "And Reno and Rude?"

"On assignment along with Elena. They'll be back later tonight."

"Alright. I'll go get ready."

I got dressed quickly then met Rufus at the car with Tseng. Tseng drove us to the green field that I had found. I was surprised that Rufus hadn't said anything yet. I kept my guard up, waiting for him to question me. Even after we settled on our blanket and started eating, he didn't question me. Maybe I read too much into it…

He managed to get out of his wheelchair and sit with me on the blanket. He started to fish things out of the basket.

"So Sawyer, how are you adjusting? You haven't really said anything and you're still bitter with Reno so…"

I served me and him some lemonade.

"I'm getting used to it. It's not too bad. I promise I will get out of your hair soon enough."

"I have no problem with you staying, Sawyer. You know that. In fact, I would love it if you did."

He was so sincere about that. I could hardly believe it.

I ate a grape.

"Rufus… Why didn't you try to keep me from leaving? Why didn't you fight father?"

He ate a strawberry as he thought it over.

"Believe it or not, I did. Father was quite furious with me and he slapped me for going against his wishes. By then, you were already beyond my reach. Luckily enough, I was able to send Reno to you much later. Even then, he was forced to come back and you were left alone. I wasn't able to do anything for you. By then, so much had happened and we heard nothing about you."

"So everyone just assumed that I was dead."

He nodded. "I didn't know what to do. You were the only blood family that I had left. It tore me apart knowing that I had failed you. Without you with me, I let controlling the company make me ruthless and uncaring."

I shook my head at him. "It wasn't anything that you could control Rufus. That, I'm positive of. I'm thankful that you even tried to fight father for me."

He smiled. "Thank you, Sawyer."

"Anytime big brother."

We finished our picnic a while later then went back to Healin. Reno, Rude, and Elena were waiting for us when we returned. Rufus wheeled in and Tseng stood at the door.

I knew what was going on then and there.

"God damn it, Rufus!" I screamed. "I knew this was coming!"

"It's okay, Sawyer. Please, just hear us out," he said gently. "That's why everyone was gone today, they went to dig up some things-"

"NOW you decide to look into things? Are you fucking serious?" I turned to the door. "Let me out Tseng. Now."

He shook his head. "I can't do that. You're not leaving without giving us some answers on what happened to you."

I calmed down a little and turned back to the others.

"I want to know what you found first. And where you went."

They all exchanged glances.

"We went to Gongaga first," Rude said. "The townspeople told us that you had left to find Zack for his mother. So we went to Nibelheim too."

"That was a dead end, as we knew it would be," Elena said. "Everything was destroyed in the fire and… We found nothing…"

Reno stayed silent, knowing as soon as he said something that I would go off on him. He knew what he had done wrong.

"There's so many unanswered questions…" Rufus said. "In fact, I want to know how they experimented on you without knowing who you are. There has to be something… How could they do this to you…"

I went and sat down in a chair.

"You should all sit. It's going to be a long story."

Tseng moved from the door and sat with Elena. Reno and Rude stayed standing.

"As you all know, President Shinra, my father, sent me away because he didn't want me to get involved with the company. Or so I was told… The real reason was that he wanted me out of the way so I wouldn't be there to soften Rufus whenever he became President. Needless to say, it worked out in father's favor. For Rufus followed right in his footsteps." I paused for a second. "He had sent me to Gongaga. It was hard at first but I was able to stay with someone who graciously took me in. They had come together in the town to build me my own house and everything. They all welcomed me with open arms. I had so much to learn on my own. I didn't know anything outside of Shinra but they helped me as much as they possibly could. Unfortunately, living there led to my involvement with SOLDIER and, ultimately, my experimentation."

"SOLDIER?" Tseng said. Something clicked with Tseng. I saw it on his face.

I nodded to them. "Yes. In fact, the people I sought help from when I needed it had a son. At the time of my meeting him, he was a SOLDIER 2nd Class. His name was Zack Fair."

Reno, Rude, and Tseng all exchanged glances at Zack's name.

"You knew him as well," I stated. "In fact, you tried to capture him again after he escaped with Cloud Strife. At that point, you were ordered to capture two fugitive samples that had escaped from Nibelheim. I was surprised that they didn't tell you to find the third."

"The third was you, wasn't it?" Elena asked.

I nodded. "Hojo knew who I was. Which is why he destroyed anything that could've possibly led you all to me."

Reno stepped up to me. "So, you were angry at me for no reason? You got angry at me when you knew that there wasn't going to be anything to follow to find you?"

I broke for him right then and there. He was right and I knew it.

"Reno please…" I said quietly. "I know I was wrong before. If you'd just listen-"

"Forget it! You fucked up, not me. I stayed with you for as long as I could and you've done nothing but beat me down over stupid things the whole time you've been here."

"But you left-"

"I left because I was told to! I was ordered to go back to Shinra! As far as they were concerned my mission to you was done!" He turned to the others then back to me. "I'm finished here."

He stomped to the door and slammed it behind him. Rufus turned to Rude.

Rude simply nodded then followed after him. I sat in silence for a moment.

"Sawyer," Rufus said gently. "Are you alright?"

I nodded to him. "Yes. I'll finish my story… Hojo experimented on me and Zack and Cloud. The Mako and the cells should've killed me. Zack recovered quickly but Cloud was suffering from worst case Mako addiction as well as being unable to move because of the cells. I told Zack to leave me and take care of Cloud first. I adapted well at first. After he left me, I just laid on the ground for a few hours. By the third day, I had come down quickly with a fever and could no longer keep going on my own. I was in so much pain and I could barely function. Somehow, someway, someone knew that I was missing and came looking for me and found me before I had lost consciousness. Reeve Tuesti came to Nibelheim to see if he could rebuild the reactor and to inspect the damage. He was the one who found me and helped to treat me. He had no idea how to tell you or father that I was still alive. So he kept me secret. He didn't tell anyone except for the villagers in Gongaga and the people who took me back. And there I stayed through the calamity."

There was silence in the room.

"I'm sorry that Reno stormed out," Tseng said. "I will have a talk with him later."

"Don't bother," I said quickly. "He was right. I am bitter and I took it out on him. Things would have been different had he stayed…"

"How could you possibly know that, Sawyer?" Elena asked. She stood up and came to kneel at my feet. "If anything, we are just happy that you're still alive. And that you're here now, with us and Rufus."

I smiled at her. Her saying that meant so much to me.

"Thank you, Elena. You're too kind to me." I sighed. "I suppose we'll have to wait for Reno to come around. If he ever does…"

Rufus wheeled himself to me and took my hand into his. "He will, little sister. I'm sure he will…"


	6. Chapter 6

A few weeks had passed without much trouble. I had settled into a groove at the club, making good tips when I was being a hostess and getting requests to come back. Celia welcomed me when I came in everyday and taught how to properly put on my make-up. I eventually was able to do it by myself without her help. Elena transported me back and forth from work every day. As for Reno… He avoided me anytime he was near me and did his best to stay away from me as much as possible. Luckily, Rude was a little more understanding and got to know me a little more. He wasn't so bad. I had even managed to go see Tifa. Cloud wasn't there of course but, seeing Tifa and Marlene was nice. They even had a new addition named Denzel. All in all, it had been pretty lax.

I was working one day when Celia told me that Ian needed me for something. When I had asked her what it was about, she simply told me that it was very important.

I made my way to the bar to find Reno sitting there sipping a beer. I was surprised to even see him here considering how angry he was with me.

"A visitor for you, Sawyer," Ian joked as I walked up to him.

I took a seat beside Reno.

"What's up?" I asked him.

He took a swig of his beer then looked at me. "What time are you off?"

"I get off in ten minutes. Why?"

Ian looked to me. "Go ahead and go with him. It's very important. I'll tell the Boss what's going on. He'll understand."

I shifted uncomfortably. "Why does he know what's going on and I don't?"

"It's nothing bad," Reno said. "I really want to spend time with you and take you some place." He sipped his beer again. "I went to Gongaga to see Zack's mother. She's very sick."

I was instantly saddened to hear that Mahabé (that was what I called her when I first got there) was sick. "You're taking me to see her?"

He nodded.

"Let me get changed." I ran to my station to remove my make-up and such.

Celia ran to me.

"You're leaving early?" she asked.

"Yeah. Ian said he would cover me."

"Is everything okay? You look a little panicked."

"Someone very close to me is very sick. Reno came to take me to her."

"Oh Sawyer…" she said. "I'm sorry to hear that. I hope you get to see her in time."

I smiled at her then went to meet back up with Reno only to find that Alys was blocking the door.

"And where do you think you're going little Sawyer?" she asked.

"Out of my way, Alys," I huffed.

"And what makes you think that you can leave early without the Boss knowing that something is up? If you think that I'm going to keep my mouth shut, think again."

"Alys," the Boss called from behind her. "Move aside for Sawyer. She has family that is deathly ill." He moved past her to come to me. "Ian and your friend Reno told me everything. You're free to leave."

"Thank you so much Boss." The look on Alys's face was priceless. I gave her a sly grin as I walked past her to get back to Reno.

He took me straight to the helicopter without saying anything to me. We landed in Gongaga after a bit. Some of the people came to investigate what was going on as we made it to Mahabé's house. We went in slowly and when I got to her bedroom door, I knocked softly.

"Come in," said a weak voice from the other side.

Reno let me in first. Mahabé was laying in her bed just smiling at us as we walked in. She looked so frail… I broke a little bit when I saw her. Poor Mahabé…

"Hello again Mr. Turk," she said. "It's good to see you again today." She tried to see me behind him. "Who is your friend?"

He moved aside and let me step in. "I brought her like you asked me too."

As soon as she saw me, she lit up. As much as she could anyway…

"Hello Sawyer," she said. "I'm so glad I could see you one more time."

I went to get a chair and sat beside her bed.

"Thank you Mr. Turk. If there's anything I can do…"

He shook his head. "You two just go ahead and talk. I'll be right outside." He left us at that.

Mahabé chuckled. "You certainly found yourself a handsome gentleman. He is quite something."

"Oh he's something all right…" I answered drolly. "He stayed with me for a while Mahabé, if you remember. You made lots of pies for him."

"I knew he looked familiar," she said. "I just couldn't place him. I'm happy that you found him again. I was so lost to see you the way you were when he left you."

I nodded. "I'm living with my brother and the Turks now in Healin. It's not much but it'll do for now."

"That's good to hear…"

She looked so pale…

"Mahabé… I'm so sorry that I didn't come sooner. Had I known that you were sick…"

"No no child. I needed my time alone to think about things. Mr. Turk came at the perfect time." Her smile died away. "Sawyer… Would you be okay if I went back to the lifestream?"

I was shocked by her question. Deep down I wanted her to stay with me. But… I knew that she missed Zack and she longed to be with her son again… I couldn't ask her to stay with me.

I looked to her and smiled. "No Mahabé. I don't mind at all. If it will make you happy…"

She reached over and held my hand. "You've become such a strong young woman, Sawyer. Even with all the hardships you've been through. I just wanted you to know something… I've never hated you Sawyer for being born into the Shinra family. I know for years you had been tormented by that name. I wanted you to know that I have never had any misgivings about you. I know the truth, Sawyer. It is unfortunate that I may be the only one without that hate in my heart. You will always be judged because of it. For that, I am truly sorry. But know this…" She clutched my hand tightly. "You have done nothing wrong. Don't ever let anybody tell you that the calamity or any of this is your fault. Understand?"

I nodded. "Yes ma'am."

"You have a pure heart, child. Don't let that purity go away. Turn whatever bitterness and anger you hold in your heart and turn it into love. Okay?"

"Turn it into love…?" I murmured.

She nodded then let go of my hands. "Now my dear… You should go. Heed my words and stay strong for yourself. Alright?"

I nodded and slowly got up from my chair.

"Mahabé… Are you sure you want to do this alone…?"

"I am not alone, sweet Sawyer. My Zack will lead me there. Back to the planet where we all began. Now go. I don't want to see you saddened by my leaving."

I did as she wanted and left her. As soon as I stepped outside, many of the villagers were attacking Reno with tomatoes and other such foods. I ran to stand in front of him.

"Stop it!" I cried. "That's enough!"

"Sawyer…" one of the men said as they calmed at the sight of me. "What are you doing here? And with a Turk no less. He's part of Shinra, Sawyer. It's all their fault that the planet is in the sorry state it's in."

"Yes, I know that. And to answer your earlier question, I came to see Zack's mother. She's returning to the planet now."

The group looked extremely saddened by that.

The man who spoke to me earlier gave me a hard stare.

"He is still not wanted here," he said, pointing to Reno. "Anyone of Shinra is not welcomed here."

"My name is Shinra and yet you welcomed me with open arms," I argued.

He was silent at that.

"That's what I thought. You attack Reno or anyone form Shinra, you attack me as well. We haven't done any harm to anyone here. So I suggest you lay off." I turned to Reno. "I'm so sorry. I've done what I needed to do. We can go and get you cleaned up."

Reno simply nodded to me then turned to mob of people.

"You all are hypocrites. I'm surprised none of you recognized me. Of course, with all these tomatoes covering my handsome face, I know it's hard to recognize me." He turned away from them. "Let's go."

We went on our way toward the helicopter and went back to Healin.

As soon as we got there, we noticed that the car was gone. The lodge was empty, even Rufus's room was open.

I ran inside and got Reno a towel so that he could get some the mess off of him. I helped him out of his jacket and took his shirt off. I took his hair down as he rubbed at his face.

"I'm so sorry that you had to go through this, Reno…" I said quietly. "I didn't expect them to attack you like they did."

"What this? This is nothing. I've gotten insulted better than this."

I grinned at that. "I'd believe it. Considering how much provoking you do on a daily basis."

"I didn't provoke them," he said defensively.

I looked up at him. It was hard to concentrate with him standing there half-naked. He was lanky, but wonderfully toned. His pants hung comfortably around his lean hips. And his blazing red hair flowed down his back loosely. I remember nights of when he stayed with me, countless nights, that I had held and touched and felt him. I actually cared very deeply for him back then… And him for me…

I came up to him. "Thank you for what you did, Reno. I'm glad I got to see her one last time. It's all because of you."

He gave me a small smile then put a hand on my cheek. "Anytime…" he said.

The warmth and tenderness of his touch made my heart melt… I turned my face deeper into his hand. He came closer to me and pulled me against his chest. His scent permeated my senses, all man.

"Reno…" I murmured softly, almost turning into a light moan.

His free hand roamed up the side of me and went back down to my hand. He gently pushed me into a wall and pinned me with his body weight. His hand went to my wrist and pulled my arm up over my head. My heart pounded and my body responded with such heat… It was almost unbearable...

He finally pulled closer and gently put his lips on mine. I was instantly his at that moment. My body was molten. How I missed him these last few years…

Our kisses got more heated and deeper as we went on. He let go of my hand then moved his hands to my ass and lifted me so that I could wrap my legs around his waist. I dug my fingers into his hair and gently pulled. He pulled away from me long enough to lay some kisses on my neck. I moaned lightly and simply let him have his way with me. There was no way I was going to stop him when I needed him this much.

Just as I had thought that, we both heard doors closing to the car. He let go of me then rushed to get his clothes. I ran into my bedroom and quickly changed into my night shirt. Reno came in with his tomato-stained shirt and jacket and gave me one more heated kiss.

"Another time," he said. "I promise. I have so much I want to tell you."

I simply nodded and he ran out.

I heard the front door open and footsteps entering.

"Hello Reno," I heard my brother say. There was a pause. "Your trip seemed eventful/"

"Yes, they seemed to feel the need to give me a make-over," Reno said.

Rufus chuckled at him. "I see. How is Sawyer taking it?"

"I think she'll be fine. She's been pretty calm the whole time. Not even one tear shed."

"Should I go talk to her?" Elena asked.

"No no," Reno said quickly. "She's in bed now. I don't want her to be bothered. She's had a long day."

"I understand," Rufus said. "Are you alright, Reno? You look a little jumpy."

"Not at all. Everything is fine."

Their conversation died down and I crawled into bed in hopes of a good night's sleep.


End file.
